Question Mark — you ask a fair question: is it ok to express these ideas in a family newspaper or online?

I believe it is ok.

Letters, whether online or in the newspaper, serve a useful purpose. They are part of a forum that exists for the free exchange of ideas. They are a mirror onto our community; they reveal what our neighbors think and feel. They offer opportunity to praise, to challenge and to question. The Hunterdon County Democrat has a long had a very accommodating letters policy, and it is one I seek to preserve.

Of course, not all letters submitted to the newspaper are accepted for publication. We are inclined to reject letters that contain personal attacks, that are libelous or that contain obvious misstatements of fact. In print, we insist that a letter be signed by its author. The culture online is different, and anonymous or pseudononymous comments are the norm. But even here, there are standards of propriety.

So, thanks for participating in this forum and posing an interesting question. Please consider this an invitation to submit a letter of your own.

ohsayitaintso, we absolutely plan to follow this story. To be clear, this article is not "re-posting a press release," but the result of Cristina Rojas' hard work. In fact, officials have been very reluctant to speak with us about this matter; the absence of a press release explains why - to my knowledge - no other news organization has this story.

Thanks for your interest in the Democrat which — as you suggest — has a long history of distinguished journalism. It has certainly evolved from its 1825 roots, when photography was in its infancy and color photography was the stuff of fantasy. Who could have imagined then the technology that allows us today to be a 7-day newsroom that reports news as it happens? We have a talented and experienced news department here that is enthusiastic about extending our tradition of community journalism to a medium that allows not only more immediate reporting, but an interactivity with our readers that far exceeds the limitations of our industry's past.

I'm puzzled about your remark that the Democrat "is going in the wrong direction." If this is something of genuine concern to you, please give me a call: 908-948-1238. I'd be interested in listening to what you have to say.

Thanks for your interest in the Democrat which — as you suggest — has a long history of distinguished journalism. It has certainly evolved from its 1825 roots, when photography was in its infancy and color photography was the stuff of fantasy. Who could have imagined then the technology that allows us today to be a 7-day newsroom that reports news as it happens? We have a talented and experienced news department here that is enthusiastic about extending our tradition of community journalism to a medium that allows not only more immediate reporting, but an interactivity with our readers that far exceeds the limitations of our industry's past.

I'm puzzled about your remark that the Democrat "is going in the wrong direction." If this is something of genuine concern to you, please give me a call: 908-948-1238. I'd be interested in listening to what you have to say.

SSSPrt, I certainly understand your concerns and you raise some important points. But, you are mistaken when you state, "NEVER do they post the final judgements" of those mentioned in the police blotter. In fact, we welcome information from readers about their court outcomes. In fact, many an accused person has submitted us a copy of a judge's ruling, and we update the article accordingly. You are correct that the reporting of police news should not necessarily end with simply repeating police information.

njimho, when you compare the Democrat newspaper to what the Democrat's newsroom posts to njcom, you are comparing apples to oranges. A weekly newspaper usually has days to research an article. When we post to nj.com, we are reporting a story's first-day facts. We think there's value to a 7-day news operation, and don't want to revert to the Democrat's former five-day 9-to-5 newsroom.

When it comes to news, we must sometimes accept limited details in exchange for immediacy. For more details, you can read this week's Democrat, or check back for updates on nj.com

You are correct that New Jersey's right to "affordable" housing is not found in its Constitution. Rather, as the editorial states, New Jersey is "one of a handful of states where courts have ruled that the housing is a constitutional right." What the state Supreme Court rules is, indeed, the law, until it is reversed by a higher court, or until the state changes its Constitution or until the law is superseded by legislation.

Greg, I think counting our blessings can be sobering because - as you observe - so many of us are blessed in abundance. As the editorial states, "a true accounting of our blessings on Thanksgiving Day might not leave time for anything else." To compare ourselves to the many who are less fortunate is, indeed, sobering.

The Democrat will absolutely followup on Franklin Township school construction, as it has for years. And although a reporter may not attend every school board meeting, we update important stories from a variety of sources. Stay with the Democrat and nj.com for further updates.

Nick, your post was deleted because you attributed remarks to me regarding the Hunterdon County Democrat that I've never, ever said - to anyone. I can say that with certainty because the comments do not even remotely reflect my thinking. We have a liberal policy of allowing comments in this forum, even those that cast the Democrat in an unfavorable light. But, there are limits, and you've exceeded them.

There are several other elements in your remarks with which I take exception, but I'm not going to engage in a back-and-forth with you here. It should suffice for me to say that I think the Democrat and nj.com are doing an outstanding job of reporting community news. We're far from perfect, we accept criticism and we're open to having a meaningful conversation. But nj.com is not going to provide a platform for you to use as a tool to misrepresent our news organization to the extent you evidently feel you're entitled.

This is a good time to remind all nj.com users that each of you is subject to our community guidelines, which are found here:

http://www.nj.com/forums/index.ssf?rules.html.

Nick, if you continue to violate these rules, those posts will also be deleted.

"Has the newspaper replaced Rick Epstein?" No, there is no replacing Rick Epstein. And he remains at the Democrat in the same role he has held here for several years: as a writer, reporter and a "go-to" guy who is skilled at editing, production and working with other staff. As the article states, this is evolutionary, not revolutionary. And oh yea, he's a great photographer, too!

I double-checked my notes, and they are clear that the school Business Administrator told me that the cost of the water tanks was $266,901.32. - exclusive of the pad or water in the tanks. It is because of the confusion over this project that the article carefully notes where this number came from: school officials.